Your Day in the A – Georgia Voice

September 10, 2021 Kim Martel

Highlights from this year’s Destination Gay Atlanta, out now!

Welcome to Atlanta! Whether you’re a tourist, visitor, or a longtime ATLien, this great city has a slew of LGBTQ-friendly activities and attractions for you to enjoy. That’s why we publish Destination Gay Atlanta (DGA) every year. This annual travel guide details everything you need to know about LGBTQ Atlanta: the best restaurants, shopping, hotels, events, venues, theaters, gyms, and attractions, plus a list of LGBTQ-owned businesses in the city, a rundown of our favorite gayborhoods, and so much more.

You can pick up a copy of Destination Gay Atlanta in hotel lobbies across Atlanta or at Boy Next Door Menswear (1447 Piedmont Avenue NE) or read it online. For now, allow us to plan your day in the A with some of our favorite LGBTQ-friendly picks from this year’s DGA.

If you’re doing a day in Atlanta right, it starts with breakfast (or brunch — get your beauty sleep!) at MetroFresh (931 Monroe Drive; 1360 Peachtree Street). This LGBTQ-owned spot is perfect for starting your day off fresh and affordably. The extensive breakfast menu is available until 1pm. Monday–Saturday and includes Smoked Gouda Grits, Hot Maple Quinoa Cereal, and delicious gluten-free Buttermilk Pancakes.

After your belly is full, spend your afternoon shopping. Visit Charis Books and More in Decatur (84 S Candler Street) to find your newest read. Charis is the oldest independent feminist bookstore in the South and offers a huge collection of feminist and queer fiction and nonfiction.

Then swing by Little Five Points, the stomping grounds of Atlanta’s artsiest folk. While there, pick up your favorite album on vinyl at Criminal Records (1154 Euclid Avenue NE) or Wax’n’Facts (432 Moreland Avenue NE), a secondhand fashion find from Rag-O-Rama (1111 Euclid Avenue NE), and a funky graphic T-shirt from The Junkman’s Daughter (464 Moreland Avenue NE).

Satiate your appetite after your shopping spree with lunch at Henry’s Midtown Tavern (132 10th Street NE). Owned by proud LGBTQ Atlantan Maureen Kalmanson, this spot is perfect for eating al fresco on its huge deck. We suggest starting the meal off with the delectable Deviled Eggs as an appetizer.

Take a midday nap to rest up for a night of theater, cuisine, drinks, and partying. Enjoy a gourmet Southern dinner by out chef Deborah VanTrece at Twisted Soul Cookhouse and Pours (1133 Huff Road NW, #D) before catching an LGBTQ show at Out Front Theatre Company (999 Brady Avenue NW). Stop for a drink and a game of pinball or Mortal Kombat at the uber fun and LGBTQ-owned Joystick Gamebar (427 Edgewood Avenue) before partying the night away at Atlanta’s newest gay club, 840ATL (840 Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard).